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Albinism: Ocular Albinism
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Albinism is a genetic condition in which the body fails to make the pigment melanin, leading to absence of color in the hair, skin and/or eyes. Ocular albinism affects only the eyes, while [O]culocutaneous albinism involves all three. Albinism can be described as Type 1 and Type 2 depending on how it is inherited. Another form of the albinism is Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome (HPS), which ... involves problems with bleeding, lungs and bowels.
Albinism is a rare genetic condition that is divided into two categories, Ocular albinism (OA) and Oculocutaneous albinism (OCA). A key characteristic of both forms of albinism are ocular changes resulting in poor vision, nystagmus & possibly strabismus. Individuals with albinism often fall within the 'legally blind' visual range. Oculocutaneous albinism is characterised by the ocular features combined with lightened colouration of the hair, skin & iridies of the eye, when compared to others of the same ancestral background.
Albinism is a recessively inherited condition affecting about one in 17,000 people. A person who inherits albinism usually inherits a recessive gene for the condition from each parent, though this is not the case in ocular albinism. The condition, though often fatal in other animals, has almost no impact on life expectancy or overall health in humans, but does affect vision to varying degrees.
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Albinistic girl from Papua New Guinea Albinism is a condition that cannot be "cured" per se, but small things can be done to improve the quality of life for those affected. Most importantly to improve vision, protect the eyes from bright lights, and avoid skin damage from sunlight. The extent and success rate of these measures depend on the type of albinism and severity of the symptoms; in particular, people with ocular albinism are likely to have normally-pigmented skin, and ... do not need to take special precautions against skin damage.
Albinism affects both males and females, and is apparent from birth. Research indicates that OCA type 1 occurs in 1 individual per 40,000 population, OCA type 2 occurs in 1 individual per 15,000, and ocular albinism in 1 individual per 50,000 population. Research has not yet found how often OCA type 3 occurs, although it has only been genetically confirmed in African and African American individuals.
Albino individuals suffer from an inherited disorder of melanin production called Albinism. In this condition there is lack of pigmentation in the eyes, skin and hair. It is ... known as hypopigmentation, oculocutaneous albinism or ocular albinism.
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